"Giannis has 24 free throws... this is ridiculous" - Monty Williams laments lack of fair whistle as Devin Booker ends game with only 3 free throws
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Milwaukee Bucks to a tight 116-104 win over Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns on the road. The two-time MVP dropped 36 points, 14 of which came from the free-throw line.
After the game, Suns head coach Monty Williams couldn't believe the disparity in the free-throw shots:
"It's just not fair. Book [Booker] has three free throws if I'm reading this [sheet] right. And Jrue Holiday is one of the most physical defenders in the game. He has three and Giannis [Antetokounmpo] has 24 free-throws. It's ridiculous!"
"Hard to swallow."
Monty Williams on Giannis going 14-of-24 from the line while the #Suns as a team went 14-of-16.
"Booker had 3 free throws." #Bucks https://t.co/G99wuoKGJ9
The Bucks collectively went to the 4.5 meter-line 37 times. Phoenix, on the other hand, took just 16 free-throw attempts, making 14 of them.
Milwaukee's twin-tower combination of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez pushed the Suns to make uncomfortable decisions. The "Greek Freak" and Lopez are two of the most bruising inside operators, while Monty Williams only had Deandre Ayton to man the paint.
Phoenix was overwhelmed by the Bucks' size and physicality. Antetokounmpo feasted under the basket and was unstoppable driving to the basket. The referees had no choice but to call the game as they saw it.
Devin Booker tried to counter the Bucks' bruising game with his sleek and skilled movements. He took 27 shots, making 13 of them, but drove to the basket just four times.
Monty Williams bemoaning the lack of calls was very interesting, considering his team wasn't as consistently aggressive as the Bucks. Phoenix, too, was playing on their home floor, which made Williams' "unfair" comment rather interesting.
Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns need to snap out of their funk
The Phoenix Suns (37-31) have now lost three straight games. They are just 1.5 games ahead of the Golden State Warriors (36-33) as the fourth seed in the Western Conference.
They looked like they were on their way to cementing their top-four place when Kevin Durant joined them on Mar. 1 versus the Charlotte Hornets. Phoenix racked up three straight wins with the former NBA MVP in the lineup.
Since losing Durant to a freak injury on Mar. 9 the Suns have gone 1-3. KD isn't walking onto the playing court any time soon as he will still be re-evaluated after a week.
Tonight's final. https://t.co/18mPJkX68E
Devin Booker, as he has done for most of the season, will have to shoulder the scoring load again. "Book" has responded as he is averaging 33.5 points since Durant's injury.
The Suns, however, are no longer as deep and as well-balanced before trading for Kevin Durant. Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson can no longer complement Booker on both ends of the floor.
Chris Paul's playmaking has been outstanding as usual. He's still one of the best in getting the best out of his teammates. Without KD and with the way the Suns are now built, he will have to carry some of the scoring burden.
The fourth-seeded Phoenix Suns (37-32) are just four games ahead of the 11th place Utah Jazz (33-36). If the Suns can't shake off their lethargy, they may even slide into play-in territory.
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